Durable drawer retainer apparatus and method of use

ABSTRACT

A foil extension ball bearing drawer slide assembly comprised of a fixed member attached to a cabinet piece, a middle member slidingly engaged with the fixed member with a set of linear bearings, a drawer member attached to a drawer piece slidingly engaged with the middle member via a second set of linear bearings, and a drawer retainer mechanism attached to the drawer member and in adjustable contact with the drawer member. The drawer retainer mechanism is comprised of a housing attached to the drawer member, a piston slidingly fitted in the frame and biased by a biasing member. The piston, biased by the biasing member, is forced towards the housing by a raised indention in a race of the fixed member.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 13/200,571,filed Sep. 24, 2011. The patent application identified above isincorporated, here by reference in its entirety to provide continuity ofdisclosure.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to sliding assemblies for mountingdrawers in cabinetry. In particular, the disclosure relates to extensionball bearing slides with a durable, front mounted, adjustable drawerretainer mechanism which prohibits the inadvertent opening of a closeddrawer.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Drawer slides mounted to cabinets and drawers for slidably moving adrawer in a cabinet are well known in the art. Drawer slides aretypically constructed of two or more rails which are telescopicallyextendable. In standard practice, the outer most rail is the widest andis mounted to the stationary cabinet wall and encloses the inner rails.The innermost rail is typically mounted on the side or underneath thedrawer piece. The rails usually incorporate ball bearings mounted inretainers and seated in races formed in the sides of the rails so thatthe rails may slide with respect to each other. This low frictionprovided by the rails allows the drawer to move between the open andclosed positions with minimal effort. As a result, drawers are oftenclosed rapidly and with excess force and have a tendency to rebound whenclosed. In cabinetry installed in mobile homes, recreational vehicles,or boats, the low friction provided by the rails allows unintentionallyopening drawers during vehicle movement.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,109 to Parvin discloses a telescopic drawer slidewith a soft sequencing latch. The soft sequencing latch comprises alatch arm carried by a slide member. A spring arm extending from thelatch arm in compressive contact with the slide member biasing the latcharm into engagement with a locking element on a second slide member andan actuator on a third slide member for disengaging the latch arm. Theactuator disengages the latch arm by applying a force to the latch armwith a component oppositely directed and of sufficient magnitude toovercome the compressive spring force. Interaction of the lockingelement with the latching aim and the interaction of the actuator withthe latching arm may both serve as frictional interfaces during slideoperation. The device requires a component on each slide member and thelatch arm is susceptible due to constant deformation and frictionalforces. Further, the force applied by the soft sequencing latch is notadjustable.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,678 to Dopp, et at. discloses drawer slide withfront-mounted stop/anti-rebound mechanism. Two stop/anti-rebound piecescomprised of resilient arcuate segments are individually attached at theforward ends of a first rail and a second rail of the rail assembly. Thestop/anti-rebound mechanism engages when the first and second rails arein a closed position and prevent the first and second rails from movingbeyond a closed position. The force applied by the stop/anti-reboundmechanism is not adjustable. The stop/anti-rebound mechanism includescertain arcuate segments that are prone to failure due to repeateddeformation.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,636 to MacMillan discloses a cushion end stop detentmember for a drawer slide having a set of cushioning arms, a detentprojection, and a frictional ramp. The cushion and detent projectionelement is made from a resilient material and is attached to the insideof the outer rail of a three rail drawer assembly. The cushioning armsand the frictional ramp engage and cushion the movement of the middlerail. The detent projection cooperates with a receptor in the innerrail. The device is prone to wear and deteriorates over time due tofriction and repeated deformation. The device is not adjustable.

U.S. Patent to Radke. et al. discloses a drawer slide assembly having anadjustable integral strike and catch mechanism. An adjustable strike isincluded on a first slide member. A catch is included on a second slidemember. The strike and catch engage when the drawer is closed. A strikefastener allows for adjustment of the strike position. The strike isdeformable and so is prone to wear due to frictional forces and repeateddeformation.

There is a need for a less expensive, less complicated, and easilyinstalled alternative to prior art drawer slides which secure closure ofdrawers. The drawer retainer mechanism disclosed provides an inexpensiveyet durable, front mounted device for securing a drawer which providesease of installation and more durable components which increase the userlife of the slide and reduce the frequency of required replacement.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

A preferred embodiment provides an extension ball bearing drawer slideassembly with stay closed mechanism. The preferred embodiment is aninexpensive alternative to prior art drawer slide assemblies whichprolongs the usable life of the drawer slide assembly and the cabinetpiece by providing a front mounted and adjustable stay closed drawerretainer mechanism.

Accordingly, an embodiment of the apparatus includes a drawer slideassembly comprised of a fixed member, a middle member slidingly engagedwith the fixed member via a set of linear bearings, a drawer memberslidingly engaged with the middle member via a second set of linearbearings, and a drawer retainer mechanism attached to the drawer member.The fixed member is attached to the cabinet piece, and the drawer memberis attached to the drawer piece of furniture. The drawer retainermechanism is. comprised of a frame attached to the drawer member, ahousing seated in the frame, a piston fitted in the housing and spacedfrom one interior surface of the housing by a helical spring. Thehelical spring is centered on a screw threaded into the frame. Thepiston, biased by the helical spring, is urged upward by a raisedindention in the race of the fixed member as the drawer is opened orclosed. Once the piston passes the raised indention, the drawer retainermechanism retains the drawer in a closed position and hence prevents thedrawer member from opening without a sufficient force applied in theopening direction.

An alternate preferred embodiment attaches the housing directly to thedrawer member. A hole in the housing is threaded to receive a threadedplug to adjustably bias the piston against the raised indention.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the above-mentioned featuresand advantages of the disclosure together with other important aspectsupon reading the detailed description that follows in conjunction withthe drawings provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the detailed description of the preferred embodiments presentedbelow, reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of a drawer slideassembly.

FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view of a preferred embodiment of adrawer slide assembly.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the housing andpiston of the drawer retainer mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a plan view from the underside of a preferred embodiment ofthe housing and piston of the drawer retainer mechanism.

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the piston.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross section view in a closed position of apreferred embodiment of a drawer slide assembly along line 6-6 of FIG.1.

FIG. 7A is a cross section view of a preferred embodiment of a drawerslide assembly in an opened position.

FIG. 7B is a cross section view of a preferred embodiment of a drawerslide assembly between an opened and closed position.

FIG. 7C is a cross section view of a preferred embodiment of a drawerslide assembly in a closed position.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross section view in a closed position of analternate preferred embodiment of the drawer slide assembly.

FIG. 9 is a partial cross section view in a closed position of analternate preferred embodiment of the drawer slide assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the descriptions that follow, like parts are marked throughout thespecification and drawings with the same numerals, respectively. Thedrawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and certain figuresmay be shown in exaggerated or generalized form in the interest ofclarity and conciseness.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, drawer slide assembly 100 is comprised offixed member 102, middle member 104, drawer member 106, and drawerretainer mechanism 108. Each member 102,104, and 106 of drawer slideassembly 100 is generally C-shaped and includes a pair of races forhousing ball-bearing assemblies. Fixed member 102 is mounted to theinside of the cabinet frame of a furniture piece having a drawer usingcommon attachment hardware such as wood screws. Although three slidesare shown, it is understood that a greater or lesser number of slidesmay be telescopic-ally engaged with one another.

Proximate the front end of fixed member 102 is raised indention 114located in race 115 for engagement with drawer retainer mechanism 108.Proximate the opposite end of fixed member 102 extends tab 112. Bumper110 is attached to tab 112. In one embodiment, bumper 110 is formed ofrubber or similar deformable yet resilient material and is frictionallyheld in place on tab 112 via a slot which tab 112 extends through. Inother embodiments, bumper 110 is formed of nylon or Teflon®.

Middle member 104 is slidingly engaged with fixed member 102 via aseries of ball bearings 120 held in bearing retainer 124. Drawer member106 is slidingly engaged with middle member 104 via a second series ofball bearings 122 held in a second bearing retainer 126. Drawer member106 is mounted to the side of the drawer frame of the cabinet pieceusing common attachment hardware such as wood screws through a pluralityof mounting holes. From rear end 107 of drawer member 106 extendextensions 127 and 129 which define cavity 128. Extensions 127 and 129are slightly angled towards one another resulting in the distancebetween them being smaller than the height of drawer member 106. Thedistance between extensions 127 and 129 is slightly less the width ofbumper 116 so that when engaged, drawer member 106 is frictionally heldadjacent bumper 110. In a preferred embodiment, drawer retainermechanism 108 is attached to the front facing end of drawer member 106opposite extensions 127 and 129 and cavity 128. As this front mountedfeature is preferred for easier maintenance and replacement, it shouldbe understood that the desired effect of preventing the inadvertentopening of the drawer and the rebound of the closed drawer can beaccomplished if drawer retainer mechanism 108 were to be mounted on rearend 107 of drawer member 106.

As seen best in FIGS. 2 and 6, drawer retainer mechanism 108 iscomprised of frame 130 mounted to the front facing end of drawer member106, housing 140 contained in frame 130, and piston 142 seated withinhousing 140. Frame 130 includes flanges 134, 135,136, 137, and 138 whichform a generally open-sided rectangular box. Flange 134 connects frame130 to drawer member 106 via a weld or other connection means common inthe art. Flange 135 opposes flange 134. Flange 138 includes threadedhole 132. Flange 138 opposes flanges 136 and 137. Flanges 136 and 137are separated by gap 141.

As seen best in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, housing 140 is comprised of centersupport 171, walls 173 and 175, base support 177, and guide wall 179.The center support, walls, base support and guide wall form cavity 170.Hole 154 passes through center support 171 into cavity 170. Slot 158 isprovided in base support 177 and is located opposite from and axiallyaligned with hole 154. Slot 158 includes open end 160. Open end 160 isless in width than slot 158 thereby creating a stepped recess andallowing movement of piston 142 within cavity 170. Guide wall 179includes guide ridges 190 and 192. Guide ridges 190 and 192 areintegrally formed raised ridges generally parallel to each other andparallel to the longitudinal axis of screw 144. Housing 140 ispreferably cast from plastic or similar lightweight yet durable materialand is generally rectangular in shape.

As shown in FIG. 5, piston 142 comprises a combined rectangular body 167and rounded protrusion 166. Piston 142 further includes hole 156 havingbottom 157. Channels 162 and 164 flank hole 156 and are spaced toslidingly engage guide ridges 190 and 192. In one embodiment. Channels162 and 164 contain lubrication to ensure unencumbered linear movementof piston 142 with respect to housing 140. The axes of channels 162 and164 are generally parallel with the axis of hole 156. Piston 142 ispreferably cast from plastic or similar lightweight yet durablematerial. In alternate embodiments, piston 142 is constructed of Delrin,nylon or Teflon®.

Screw 144 includes threaded section 152, spanner head 153, and shaft155. Spanner head 153 is shaped to accept a torsional force from aspanner. Screw 144 attaches housing 140 to frame 130 as threaded section152 engages threaded hole 132, Screw 144 does not contact and is notconnected to piston 142. When assembled, screw 144, threaded hole 132,hole 154, and hole 156 are axially aligned. Spring 146 surrounds shaft155 and is simultaneously constrained by shaft 155, hole 154 and hole156. In an alternate embodiment, shaft 155 is not necessary as spring146 is constrained by holes 154 and 156. Spring 146 passes through hole154 and is seated in hole 156. Spring 146 provides a bias between frame130 and bottom 157 thus forcing piston 142 out of housing 140 andextending protrusion 166 through slot 158 and through gap 141.

As shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C, in use, a pair of drawer slideassemblies 100 are typically mounted one on each side of a drawer and toopposing inside surfaces of a cabinet piece.

In an “opened” position as shown in FIG. 7A, the front end of drawermember 106 is extended beyond the front end of fixed member 102. Drawerretainer mechanism 108 is not engaged with raised indention 114 andbumper 110 is not wedged between extensions 127 and 129. As a result thedrawer is tree to slide in direction 220 to a fully open position.

Referring to FIG. 7B, during a closing sequence, a force applied in theclosing direction shown by arrow 210 causes drawer member 106 and drawerretainer mechanism 108 to approach fixed member 102. Because spring 146is compressed between threaded section 152 and piston 142, the bias ofspring 146 tends to force piston 142 out of housing 140 thus extendingprotrusion 166 through slot 158 and between flanges 136 and 137 throughgap 141. Piston 142 is held within housing 140 by the result of thewidth of body 167 being wider than slot 158. Once protrusion 166contacts raised indention 114, raised indention 114 forces protrusion166, against the bias of spring 146, to move in a direction parallel tothe longitudinal axis of screw 144 through gap 141 and slot 158 untilprotrusion 166 has retreated towards housing 140 enough to successfullybypass raised indention 114. Guide ridges 190 and 192 engaged withchannels 162 and 164 in cooperation with walls 173 and 175 preventpiston 142 from rotating or jamming within housing 140 dining engagementwith raised indention 114. Simultaneously, as protrusion 166 clearsraised indention 114. extensions 127 and 129 engage bumper 110. Afterpassing raised indention 114, spring 146 forces protrusion 166 throughslot 158 and gap 141 away from housing 140 until body 167 abuts housing140.

The force required to open or close the drawer can be adjusted byadjusting the compression of the helical spring. The compression ofspring 146 increases as threaded section 152 is advanced. As thecompression of spring 146 increases, the force required to moveprotrusion 166 through slot 158 and gap 141 toward housing 140 alsoincreases. Adjusting the position of threaded section 152 relative topiston 142 thus adjusts the force necessary to move protrusion 166through slot 158. Rotating screw 144 in a clockwise direction shortensthe distance between threaded section 152 and piston 142 thuscompressing spring 146 and thus requiring a greater force to open orclose the drawer. Rotating screw 144 in a counter-clockwise directionlengthens the distance between threaded section 152 and piston 142decompressing spring 146 and thus reducing the force necessary to openor close the drawer.

During an opening sequence, a sufficient force is applied in the openingdirection shown by arrow 220. The opening force must overcome thefrictional force between bumper 110 and extensions 127 and 129.Simultaneously, raised indention 114 forces protrusion 166, against thebias of spring 146, through slot 158. Once protrusion 166 clears raisedindention 114, spring 146 forces protrusion 166 through slot 158 and gap141 until body 167 abuts housing 140 and the drawer is free to slide toits fully opened position unencumbered.

In a “closed” position as shown in FIG. 7C, drawer retainer mechanism108 works cooperatively with bumper 110 and extensions 127 and 129 toprevent the drawer from inadvertently opening without a sufficient forceapplied in the opening direction, as shown by direction arrow 220. Thecombination of drawer retainer mechanism 108 and bumper 110 andextensions 127 and 129 further prevents the drawer from rebounding fromthe closed position.

In an alternate preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 8, housing 140 ismounted on tab 194 and constrained on one side by flange 196. Tab 194extends from drawer slide 106. Tab 194 is integrally formed with drawerslide 106. Flange 196 is integrally formed with tab 194. In anotheralternative embodiment, tab 196 is not present. Housing 140 is mountedon tab 194 using common attachment hardware such as welding, rivets, ormachine screws or with a suitable epoxy adhesive. Plug 180 is threadedfor engagement with threaded hole 182 and upon rotation advances orretreats through threaded hole 182. Spring 146 is constrained bythreaded hole 182 and hole 156 in piston 142. Spring 146 is adjacentplug 180 and bottom 157. Spring 146 biases piston 142 against raisedindention 114. Adjusting the position of plug 180 relative to piston 142adjusts the compression of spring 146 and thus adjusts the bias ofpiston 142 against raised indention 114.

In an alternate preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 9, housing 140 ismounted on tab 194 and constrained by flange 196. Flexible member 186 iswedged between center support 171 of housing 140 and piston 142.Flexible member 186 is constructed of rubber or closed shell plasticshock absorbing foam or any resilient substance having compressive shockabsorbing and rebounding features. Flexible member 186 biases piston 142against raised indention 114.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could bemade to the embodiments described above without departing from the broadinventive concept thereof It is understood, therefore, that thisdisclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, butit is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

1. A drawer slide assembly for mounting a drawer to a cabinetcomprising: a cabinet slide member having a projection; a drawer slidemember telescopically engaged with the cabinet slide member; a cavityand a guide member defined by a housing, the housing attached to thedrawer slide assembly: a piston resident in the cavity and adjacent theguide member and the projection; a bias member, adjacent the housing andthe piston, providing a bias between the piston and the projection; and,whereby the projection moves the piston into the housing against thebias as the piston overrides the projection.
 2. The drawer slideassembly of claim 1 wherein the piston further comprises a protrusionextending from a body wherein the protrusion projects through a slot inthe housing.
 3. The drawer slide assembly of claim 1 wherein the biasmember further comprises a post having a threaded section engaged with athreaded hole in the housing.
 4. The drawer slide assembly of claim 3wherein the bias member further comprises a helical spring surroundingthe post and abutting the threaded section and the piston.
 5. The drawerslide assembly of claim 1 wherein the cabinet slide member furthercomprises a bumper.
 6. The drawer slide assembly of claim 5 wherein thedrawer slide member further comprises: an opposing first extension andsecond extension; and wherein the bumper frictionally engages the firstextension and the second extension.
 7. The drawer slide assembly ofclaim 6 wherein the first extension and the second extensionfrictionally engage the bumper when the piston is adjacent theprojection.
 8. The drawer slide assembly of claim 6 where during aclosing sequence, a force supplied in a closing direction causes thedrawer slide to approach the cabinet slide, the bias of the bias memberforces the piston out of the housing to engage the projection, theprojection forces the piston towards the housing against the bias of thebias member until the piston bypasses the projection while the first armand the second arm engage the bumper and prevent the inadvertent openingand rebound of the drawer.
 9. The drawer slide assembly of claim 1wherein the bias member further comprises: a threaded plug engaged witha threaded hole in the housing; and a helical spring adjacent thethreaded plug and the detent.
 10. The drawer slide assembly of claim 1wherein a middle slide member is telescopically engaged with the cabinetslide member and the drawer slide member.
 11. The drawer slide assemblyof claim 1 wherein the bias member is selected from the group consistingof a helical spring and a resilient shock absorbing material.
 12. Thedrawer slide assembly of claim 1 wherein the piston is comprised of abody section and a rounded protrusion extending from the body sectionthrough a slot in the housing.
 13. A method for preventing therebounding and inadvertent opening of a drawer attached to a drawerslide assembly, the method comprising: providing a drawer retainermechanism comprised of a housing attached to the drawer slide assemblyand a piston biased front the housing by a biasing member; engaging araised indention in the drawer slide assembly with the piston; movingthe piston towards the housing against a bias of the biasing member;guiding linear movement of the piston with the housing: bypassing theraised indention; and, forcing the piston away from the housing with thebias of the biasing member to a rested position.
 14. The method of claim13 further comprising: engaging a bumper on the drawer slide assemblywith a pair of extensions on the drawer slide assembly.
 15. The methodof claim 13 comprising: adjusting the bias of the biasing member. 16.The method of claim 15 wherein the step of adjusting the bias of thebiasing member further comprises: rotating a post a first direction tocompress the biasing member; and rotating the post a second direction todecompress the biasing member.
 17. The method of claim 15 wherein thestep of adjusting the bias of the biasing member further comprises:rotating a post a first direction to move the post closer to the piston;and rotating the post a second direction to move the post further fromthe piston.
 18. A drawer retainer mechanism for a drawer slide assemblycomprising: a housing attached to the drawer slide assembly and definingan interior chamber; a threaded hole and a slot leading into theinterior chamber; a threaded section on a plug and engaged with thethreaded hole; a piston seated in the interior chamber; and, a biasingmember adjacent the plug and the piston and biasing the piston out ofthe housing through the slot.
 19. The drawer retainer mechanism of claim18 wherein the threaded hole and the slot are axially aligned.
 20. Thedrawer retainer mechanism of claim 18 wherein the piston is comprised ofa body section and a rounded protrusion extending from the body sectionthrough the slot.